Reborn and Reunited
by Kaibigan
Summary: An angel has given Aki and Chidori a chance to be reborn close to their loved ones, regaining memories wanted at the age of sweet sixteen. But will this make Aya's family happier? Or troubled? ((Chapter 7's up! finally!))
1. A Given Chance

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayashi no Ceres. Yuu Watase does. Please R&R.  
  
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Aki has been given the chance to be reborn as someone close to his dearest sister, Aya. But just who does he reborn as?  
  
"So Aya! How many months old is it now?" Yuuhi asked the pregnant adolescent as he approached her, leaning close to her.  
  
Aya thought hard as she placed her hand softly on her expanding abdomen. "Hmmm... I think seven now! I'm so glad Tooya is still with me, even though he will die soon. At least he will still be alive by the time the baby arrives! I wonder what I'll name it! I still don't know the gender of it!"  
  
Yuuhi smiled. "Well, I think Tooya will be back from your doctor friend soon. Boy! Your belly is really big!"  
  
"How many times do I have to tell ya?! It's not my belly!" "I'm just teasing ya, Aya! I wonder why Mrs. Q is taking so long to get our drinks. So, do you miss your brother, Aki?"  
  
Aya smile turned upside down, and tears softly began to fall down her cheek.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't ask that question. I know for sure you missed him."  
  
"No, it's ok," Aya choked as she wiped the teardrop from her face. "It's just that I missed him so much. I wish he didn't have to die."  
  
"Hey kids!" Mrs. Q popped out of nowhere and frightened the two youths.  
  
"Mrs. Q! Do you really have to do that? And where are our drinks?" Yuuhi yelled at Mrs. Q, panting for air.  
  
"It's right on the table behind you guys. I wondering why you kids weren't coming over to get the drinks I made, so I came here! You two really like to talk to each other!"  
  
"The idea is to bring our drinks here...." Yuuhi replied, sighing.  
  
From afar, along with the misty clouds as if floating softly in the peaceful blue sky, Aki was watching his beloved sister in her life after the two terrifying years the Mikage has spent ruining their lives. He looked at his sister's smiling face and he too smiled, longing to be with her again, feeling an ache in his heart, a heart that no longer beat.  
  
"What's wrong Aki?" A heavenly voiced echoed in Aki's ears. Aki turned around. Behind him was among his fellow angels clothed in flowing snow white robes, his hair long and flowing yellow like lightning. The angel gazed at Aki with soft, blue eyes that seem to moisten in sympathy. "You really miss your sister down there. Everyday since you came to heaven, all you do is watch over your sister down on earth."  
  
"I can't help it. I miss her so much. I wish we could have lived our normal lives together like before. I would do anything to be with her again. But I'm dead. I can't do anything. I guess she got what she wished for. She wished something interesting would happen in our life. But I hoped we can keep our normal lives. But her wish was the one that was granted on our sixteenth birthday. Now I can only watch her from afar."  
  
The angel looked at Aki's sad face. "I know! I can let you be reborn as someone close to her!"  
  
Aki blinked at the enthusiastic angel. "I can be reborn?"  
  
The angel nodded, smiling gently.  
  
Aki grabbed the angel's robe suddenly and quickly. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" he yelled. "Anyways, how are you going to do that? You're just a fellow angel."  
  
"Nah ah!" The angel corrected the young man, taking the young man's hands off his garments. "A fellow angel with privileges! Now, the thing is, I was granted a little power to reborn a few chosen people up here, and you're one of the lucky few!"  
  
"Okay...."  
  
"The thing is, Aki, I will reborn you in the form of a young child very close to Aya. You won't be able to regain your sweet memories, not the ones past your sixteenth birthday, until you reach the age of sixteen."  
  
"That's fine. I just want to be with my sister again."  
  
"Okay. Are you ready?"  
  
Aki nodded in reply.  
  
"Okay. You might wait a while, but you will be reborn."  
  
Aki stood there in the clouds, waiting for the angel. The deity smiled gently again as he rose a glowing hand, the fingers pointing at the deceased boy. He closed his eyes as his body began to aglow, like a star among the darkness in the night. Aki then also closed his eyes, feeling his spirit fading... fading in the mist of the clouds. He could feel as if he was... vanishing. Even with his eyes closed he could see bright light... light so bright it could have blinded him. Aki shuddered as he felt his very being fall apart like a fog upon earth, then fading as the dew drenched night walked away while the sun rose for the new day. The boy smiled, feeling happy. At this very moment, he knew, he knew that he'll be with his sister again. His dear, little twin sister...  
  
Aki felt that he disappeared in the presence of everyone. As if he didn't exist anymore or yet. Soon he began to feel a warm sensation and he felt that the angel has kept his word. Then, he had forgotten everything of the past. All he could do now is wait to be with his sister and wait for his sixteenth birthday.  
  
Two months later.....  
  
Yuuhi was visiting Aya once again, but he stayed outside while Aya was going around her house on Hachijo Island when she felt contractions. "Tooya...." Aya called. "Tooya..." she called louder. "Tooya!"  
  
Tooya came running out of his bedroom. "Yes, Aya?"  
  
"I think the baby is on its way."  
  
Hours later, Aya is in a hospital room where she is still delivering her baby.  
  
"Push! The doctor cried. "Push!"  
  
Aya panted and groaned in pain, those pains stinging her back and abdomen, her legs almost kicking from the agony. "I'm trying! I'm trying!"  
  
"Don't worry Aya!" Yuuhi declared while holding Aya's hand, "I'm here for you always! At least until Tooya comes back from the bathroom!"  
  
"It's coming out! It's coming out!" the doctors announced as one of them began holding a head. "Keep pushing! It's coming out! We just need the rest of the body! Keep pushing! You're doing a good job!"  
  
Aya took a deep breath as she sat up a few inches, her breathing almost shallow. The pains... they just keep coming. Pains... happy pains. These were pains of joy of childbearing. Even if they were like daggers thrusting into her body, Aya felt as if these were feelings that really felt good... like when Tooya first kissed her... when he first held her in his arms... when Ceres finally found rest... and the dangers of the Mikage declined... Aya could feel those tears from her eyes again, tears of joy. She relaxed a bit and sat back then back up, tensing her stomach muscles to push. She cried in pain as she struggled to push, but the pains just kept coming. Aya knew she could do this. If she can endure the pains Ceres put her through during those two years of chaos and terror then she can endure this pain. Aya pushed harder and harder, then began to scream louder as she could feel movement inside her body, as if that baby was finally coming out...  
  
Yuuhi shuddered, a sickening feeling coming to his stomach. He peeked in (where he shouldn't be), seeing something coming out. At the sight of the baby's head, Yuuhi almost began to vomit until Tooya came back. "Tooya! Take Aya's hand! My turn for the bathroom!" Yuuhi cried as he ran covering his mouth.  
  
Tooya immediately took Aya's hand, whispering, "I'm here now, Aya. Don't worry. We'll get through this together. I will always be here."  
  
Aya breathed hard as she smiled, seeing the face of her beloved. He's here... he's here... by my side and the baby's.... Aya thought. The young girl felt as if the pains were lessening. Tooya gripped his beloved's hand, his soft smile beaming on his beautiful face as he gazed into Aya's eyes.  
  
"It'll be okay," he whispered. "The baby's almost here... just a little further-"  
  
Aya screamed as she felt the pains return. She shot back up and flinched. The doctor then shouted at her, "We're almost there! Just a little further!"  
  
"All right," Aya panted as she began pushing harder. She placed in all her strength into her belly, her muscles pushing harder. She grunted and moaned, panting for breath as she pushed and pushed, feeling the child move further and further out of her body. Tooya gripped Aya's hand harder, sweat dripping from his brow as if he was the one delivering the baby. Aya struggled as she pushed the baby one last time before she felt her strength leaving her...  
  
"It's out! The baby's out! We just have to cut the umbilical cord! Congratulations you're the proud mother of....what the?"  
  
Aya fainted from exhaustion.  
  
"Well, since she's fainted, I guess I should tell the Father. It's you, right?"  
  
"What's wrong, doctors?" Tooya asked.  
  
"Well, first of all, congratulations! It's a boy! And secondly, congratulations! It was born with blood red earring on both ears!"  
  
Tooya was speechless for a moment. "What?"  
  
((To be continued...)) 


	2. The Infant With Blood Red Earrings

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayashi no Ceres. Yuu Watase does. If you've read my sister ImagenAshyun's fics, you'll see that she has helped me in this fic, although the plot itself is mine. Please R&R.  
  
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Tooya grabbed the doctor by the shoulders. "Repeat what you said!" he demanded.  
  
"Whoa, calm down, sir. I just said that your newborn son was born with the blood red earrings on his ears. And that is highly unusual. We never had a case like that," answered the doctor.  
  
"Oh my God...." Tooya looked at the fainted Aya. He bent down beside her. "Aya," he whispered, "I think someone here has missed you much. Someone here wants to see you."  
  
Aya began to stir and blink. "Uh..." she finally got up. "Tooya? What happened? Where's the baby? Was it a boy? Girl?"  
  
"You've just fainted. Aya, our baby was a boy...."  
  
"Really?" Aya clapped for joy. "Where is it! What shall we name it? Uh...."  
  
"Aya. Maybe you should take a look at our baby." The doctor gave the infant to Tooya. Tooya showed the baby boy Aya.  
  
"Oh! He's so beautiful!"  
  
"Aya, take a closer look at his ears."  
  
"Hmmm?" Aya looked at her son's ears. "What? Red earrings?! They're just like the ones I gave to--"  
  
"Aki. Aya, do you know what this means?"  
  
"Yah! He looks just like his mom!"  
  
"Not only that, Aya. This may be Aki reborn as our child."  
  
Aya began to cry. "Oh..." she sobbed. "Oh, Aki. Is it really you?" She took the baby in her hands and held him close. "Oh, Aki. You have no idea how much I've missed you." The crying mother smiled greatly. "I can say that my baby looks like his mother."  
  
Yuuhi stomped his way into the hospital room. "Ugh... I feel so sick. Hmm?" Yuuhi looked at Aya holding the baby close. "Aya! Tooya! The baby came?! Is it a boy? Girl?"  
  
"Aogiri, the baby is a boy," answered Tooya.  
  
"Great! Name him after me!"  
  
"No," Aya uttered, "his name will be Aki."  
  
"Aki? Okay, I think I can understand. I mean you do miss your brother. But why not my name?"  
  
"Yuuhi, remember the gift you found in my pocket the first time I was at your house?"  
  
"Yah. I think they were red earrings. I took a lil' peek at it. Why?"  
  
"They were red earrings. Blood red earrings to be exact. They were meant for my brother, Aki. Now, take a close look at Tooya and my baby's ears."  
  
"Hmmm?" Yuuhi crept closer to the newborn. He gazed at the red earrings on the ears. "So, you pierced his ears right away so you can remind yourself of your brother? That's a first! You and Tooya have your strange ways of remembering people."  
  
"No, you idiot!" Aya answered. "He was born with them!"  
  
"Oh. That's more logical than my guess. I just noticed, but the baby hasn't cried much for a newborn."  
  
"Oh," Tooya and Aya replied in harmony and looked at each other. "You're right. It didn't cry so much. I wonder why."  
  
"All the more a weird baby," the doctor replied, eavesdropping.  
  
"Don't you dare call my baby weird!" Aya snapped.  
  
"Y'know what's also weird? Your son will be ready to be taken home from the hospital by tonight. Normally, it would take a few days, but your son is really healthy."  
  
"Wow," was all Aya could say. "This baby will lift my spirits now. Though I'm happy to be with Tooya, remembering all the things that happened the last two years was haunting me even in my dreams. Now my mind will be preoccupied with baby Aki."  
  
"Aya!" came a voice from down the hall.  
  
"Hmmm? That voice sounds familiar."  
  
"Oh! That must be Suzumi! I called her saying that your baby was coming," answered Yuuhi.  
  
Soon, in the doorway were Mrs. Q and Suzumi. "Aya! Is that your baby?"  
  
"Yup!" she replied proudly. "And he looks just like his mommy!"  
  
"Why do you say that?" asked Suzumi.  
  
"He resembles Aki so much. He even has the earrings in his ears."  
  
"So I see," Suzumi retorted gazing upon the newborn. "Aya, this is not a normal baby. By now you should know that. If your child is acting weird, do not be surprised. So what did you name him?"  
  
"Aki! Duh!"  
  
"Aya, let me hold the baby," Tooya asked.  
  
"Uh, sure." Aya let Tooya hold the baby. "Gawd, I'm exhausted. Child laboring is hard."  
  
Suzumi was quiet. "I wouldn't know. I had a miscarriage."  
  
"I'm sorry. The child would have reminded you of Kazuma, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Yah. But I still have a duty to Kazuma. I promised to watch over Yuuhi here," she said as she rubbed her brother-in-law's head. "If he does anything naughty, I have to spank him."  
  
"Aw, c'mon. I'm too old for a spanking."  
  
"Which would you rather have? Spanking? Or grounding?"  
  
"Spanking is for young kids! Grounding of course! I'm a big kid now!" he said proudly, flexing his arms.  
  
"Ok. You're grounded."  
  
Yuuhi ceased flexing his arms. "Whaaaaat? What for?!"  
  
"You've been neglecting school. Don't think you can hide your grades from me, young man!"  
  
"Suzumi!!!!!"  
  
***  
  
That night, after enduring six hours with Yuuhi and Suzumi's quarreling, Aya and Tooya readied themselves to return home. As Aya, Tooya, the Aogiris, and Mrs. Q entered their car, the new mother held her infant close to her heart. Memories of Aki- her brother- returned to her mind. Aya began teary-eyed as each memory flashed before her very eyes... whenever she and her brother would quarrel... whenever they would play... everything they did, they were done together. Even their times of squabbling were memorable. Aya recalled each frown, each cry, each smile that lit across her twin brother's face. Even that one moment when Aki said his final good- bye... that peaceful smile... his soft, gentle eyes closing... and his whispering farewells...  
  
Tooya noticed Aya's heaving shoulders. He smiled, then wrapped his arms around her, leaning to her and being careful not to place his weight on the baby. He then placed a hand on her face then wiped a falling tear. Without words, he gave his comfort. Soon, Aya's smile returned to her face. She gazed into Tooya's eyes, their hearts beating as they smiled.  
  
"Tooya..." she muttered.  
  
"You're thinking about your brother again, aren't you?" her beloved asked. Aya nodded. Tooya continued, "Well... now we have another Aki with us... who'll stay with us..."  
  
Aya began crying again, but not with tears of anguish, but of joy. She turned back her to her newborn Aki, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms, his blood red earrings glistening from the passing streetlights as the car slowly and carefully drove the new family back home.  
  
***  
  
Three years has passed. Before the young Aki would fully mature enough to recognize his own parents, Tooya's time has approached. As the rains fell fiercely over the funeral, Aya leaned on Yuuhi as she cried her heart out again for the first time in six years. Tooya has died. He has left her again.  
  
Yuuhi, who also cried, for Aya's happiness was taken away from her, held the widow close to him. Aya could feel Yuuhi's warmth as soft lips grew close to her ears, whispering, "I made a promise to Tooya..."  
  
"A promise..."  
  
"He loves you, Aya, even after his death. He loved you so much he knows that he should not abandon you. And he won't." Yuuhi gazed into Aya's eyes as the rain pattered on the umbrellas that sheltered them. "But he knows that he can't always be with you. My promise to him... and you... is to that while he is away... I will be the one to stay with you."  
  
***  
  
A year passed after Tooya's death. Aya awakened from her day's nap, yawning then standing from her bench. She jogged lightly into the house and then into her room, standing in front of the mirror, with Yuuhi sleeping on their bed.  
  
Aya, now married with Yuuhi Aogiri, is five months pregnant.  
  
***  
  
Watching the couple with ardent eyes, an angel sat on the misty clouds miles above the earth, clothed in white robes. Her hair was blown by the wind, long, flowing pigtails flapping like wings in the air, with her pink ribbons flying with them like scarlet heavenly rivers.  
  
"Chidori," said a fellow angel.  
  
Chidori took her eyes off Yuuhi. "Yes?"  
  
((to be continued...)) 


	3. To Return

Author's Note: I do not own Ayashi No Ceres. Yuu Watase does. And I'm sorry about Tooya's death! Tooya will forever remain in our hearts! If this chapter seems really rushed, that's only cuz my sis didn't help in the final editing. (may be edited later!!!)  
  
***  
  
Chidori looked at the angel. Her darling eyes and youthful face showed curiosity. "What is it?"  
  
"You are the second person that I've seen that barely takes his or her eyes off a person well loved," answered the angel.  
  
"Well, I've always loved Yuuhi. I was about to say those very words, but I died before I could finish that sentence. I still remember all the times I've spent with him. And I was always jealous of Aya because I knew Yuuhi didn't like younger girls, even though I'm the same age as he is. It was because of celestial blood that I was always youthful looking. Unless I become a celestial being, I look the age I'm supposed to."  
  
"Do you...." the angel didn't finish.  
  
"Do I....what?"  
  
"Would you like to go back to earth? To be with Yuuhi again?"  
  
"Uhhh......" Chidori pondered the question hard. "Will I still remember Yuuhi?"  
  
"You can have all the happy memories of loved ones."  
  
"Will I.....will I still remember my celestial awakening?"  
  
"If you don't want to remember them, you won't. I promise."  
  
"Ummmm....." Chidori looked at the sleeping boy again. Her heart ached to be with Yuuhi, though was envious that Aya is now married to him.  
  
"I want to remember Shota, Aya, Mrs. Kyu, Suzumi, and last but not at all least, Yuuhi."  
  
"Sure thing. You will be reborn as someone close to Yuuhi and Aya."  
  
"Reborn..."  
  
"And you won't remember a thing until you've reached the age of sixteen."  
  
Chidori's jaw dropped. "Six...six....sixteen? Don't you think that's a lil long?'  
  
"That's the rules hon. Besides, you wouldn't know how long you've been waiting. You won't remember your earlier life for sixteen years."  
  
"But that means...." Chidori began counting her fingers. "Yuuhi would be thirty-six to thirty-seven years old!!! Maybe even thirty-eight!"  
  
The angel glared at the deceased youth. "Does that mean you will be changing you mind?"  
  
Chidori looked at Yuuhi, now awake and embracing Aya. Through all these years, she was watching over him ever since she stepped through the pearly gates. Always wishing she could be there with him. "No," she stammered. "I still want to be down on earth again."  
  
"Okay. Are you ready?"  
  
Chidori nodded in reply.  
  
Chidori stood there in the clouds, waiting for the angel. The deity smiled gently again as he rose a glowing hand, the fingers pointing at the deceased girl. He closed his eyes as his body began to aglow, like a star among the darkness in the night. Chidori then also closed her eyes, feeling her spirit fading... fading in the mist of the clouds. She could feel as if she was... vanishing. Even with her eyes closed she could see bright light... light so bright it could have blinded her. Chidori shuddered as she felt her very being fall apart like a fog upon earth, then fading as the dew drenched night walked away while the sun rose for the new day. All the sudden, the glow around her began to fade.  
  
"Concentrate! Do not doubt me! Or the delivering won't be complete and you will not be reborn!"  
  
Chidori shut her eyes more firmly and began to focus harder. Her body became aglow again. Soon, she was gone. The delivering was complete.  
  
"That was close," sighed the heavenly being. "I wonder how Aki is doing."  
  
"Happy birthday to you! Blow out the candles Aki!" sang Aya.  
  
Excitedly, the four year old boy blew out the four candles. "Yay!"  
  
"Did you make a wish?" asked Yuuhi.  
  
"Yup! I wished that-"  
  
Aya put a finger to her son's lips. "Shhh! It's supposed to be a secret!"  
  
"Okay! Mommy? Am I gonna be a big brother soon?"  
  
Aya giggled. "Yes. You're going to have a baby sister!"  
  
"A sister? Eeeeew!"  
  
"Hey," Yuuhi interrupted, "she's going to be your sister. You two are going to have to get along." He rubbed his stepson on the head gently.  
  
"Awww. Okay," retorted the birthday boy. Aki had a big grin on his face. "Where are my presents?!"  
  
Yuuhi laughed. He took a big wrapped gift from behind his chair at the head of the table. "Here you go, kid."  
  
"Yay!" Aki quickly ripped the gift-wrap off and under them was a car set. "Wow! Thank you Mommy and Daddy!"  
  
"Hmmm. Suzumi and Mrs. Kyu should be here any moment now. I called them to come over."  
  
Soon the doorbell rang.  
  
"I'll get it! I'll get it!" Aki yelled as he ran to the front door. When he opened the door, he jumped up and down thrilled shouting, "Auntie Suzumi! Auntie Suzumi!"  
  
Suzumi and Mrs. Kyu was indeed at the door. Giggling, Suzumi asked, "Aki, where is your mommy?"  
  
Aki took his aunt's hand and lead her into the dining room. "Here's my mommy!"  
  
"Why, thank you, Aki!" Suzumi praised her step-nephew. "Aya!" Suzumi glanced at Aya's belly. "You're pregnant again! Is it Yuuhi's this time?"  
  
Aya beamed. "Yup!"  
  
Suzumi looked at Aki, who is now playing with his new cars with Oda Kyu. "Wow. He's looking like Aki with every year."  
  
"I know," answered the pregnant woman.  
  
"Guess who I brought with me?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Soon, in the doorway stood Tomonori and Shota. "Hey!" greeted Tomonori. He walked over to Aya's side. "Shota lives with us now. Just to let you know."  
  
"That's great," answered Aya.  
  
Soon, Yuuhi joined Aki in playing with his new set of cars.  
  
"Vroom! Vroom!" Aki roamed around the floor racing his cars against Yuuhi and Mrs. Kyu. "Daddy! When I grow up, I'm wanna be a good cook like you!"  
  
"That's great!" Yuuhi said proudly.  
  
Aki's red earrings shone from the sunbeams coming from outside the window.  
  
Four months later, Aya began having contractions. The baby is on her way.  
  
Seven hours later, the newborn baby girl was resting in her mother's arms. Just like before, the baby was unusually healthy enough to take home and didn't cry so much.  
  
"What should we name her?" asked Aya.  
  
"I want to name her Chidori, in memory of her," answered Yuuhi.  
  
Aya gazed at the infant. "Yes," she replied in return, "that is a good name for her."  
  
Twelve years later, it was Aki's birthday again. His sixteenth birthday, to be exact. Yuuhi brought the big cake with sixteen candles to the wooden table in the dining room. Twelve year old Chidori hugged her brother's side as he bent over the cake.  
  
"Happy birthday to you!" sang Aya and Yuuhi. Chidori, with her brown pigtails flying everywhere, jumped up and down with excitement.  
  
Aki was taking a big breath, but Chidori stopped him. "Wait!" she cried. "Don't forget to make a wish!"  
  
Aki smiled and rubbed his sister's head. "Okay. I'll make a wish now." He closed his eyes for a few seconds and opened them again to blow out his sixteen candles.  
  
"Yay!" Chidori cheered.  
  
Again, Aki grinned. "Now, where are my gifts?"  
  
"Here!" Chidori handed her gift to Aki. "Open mine first!"  
  
"Okay." The gift was square and wrapped nicely. All the sudden, an image popped into his mind. He was in his grandpa's house at the head of the table, about to open a gift. Then the image ceased to continue. Continuing to unwrap Chidori's gift, more images entered his mind. Aya was everywhere on his mind. When she was small, at school, in the swimming pool, climbing the old tree, in their school uniform, and at a karaoke bar. The name Aya was written everywhere. "Aya."  
  
Aya looked at her son. "Aki?"  
  
Aki looked at his mother. Or maybe more like his sister. "Aya."  
  
"Aki. Don't call me by my real name. You can keep calling me Mom."  
  
"No. Aya, It's me. Aki. Your brother. Your twin brother. Don't you remember?" Aki left his chair and walked to Aya's side.  
  
"Aki?" Aya began to cry.  
  
"Oh, Aya. I've missed you!" Aki hugged his sister/Mom. This only caused her to gush out more tears.  
  
"Oh, Aki. Finally we've been reunited!"  
  
"Ahem...."Chidori coughed. "You still haven't opened my gift."  
  
"I'll open it."  
  
((To be continued...)) 


	4. The Girl in the Picture

A "C'mon! C'mon! Open it! Open it!" Chidori jumped up and down the table.  
  
"Chidori, stop that. You're shaking the table," scolded her father.  
  
"Sorry! But I'm so excited! I want him to open it already!"  
  
Aki unwrapped the 14nch by 14-inch gift to reveal a brown box. He opened the box only to find and even smaller box. Chidori laughed.  
  
"You thought it was gonna be a big gift!" She giggled more.  
  
Aki snorted. "You're worse than Aya." He opened the other boxes to land at the last one inch by three inch rectangular box. Inside, when Aki opened it, were midnight blue earrings. "Oh, this is no good."  
  
"Oh, Chidori honey. I forgot to tell you, but your brother Aki is born with the red earrings, therefore can't take them off."  
  
"I was?" Aki looked into the mirror to see if he truly did have red earrings, and he did. He pressed the earring between his index finger and thumb. "I was! Cool. They're just like the ones I got for Aya on our sixteenth birthday."  
  
Aya giggled. "That was funny because I got the same exact earrings for you."  
  
The two 'siblings' laughed.  
  
Chidori snorted. "Well, I didn't buy these earrings for nothing." She took out the hoop earrings occupying her earlobes and replaced them with the midnight blue earrings. "There! They're cute on me!" she said as she gazed into the mirror.  
  
"Aki." Aya placed her hands on Aki's shoulders. "Now, you can't go around saying that you're my brother. My twin brother, to be exact because you're not anymore. You are reborn as my son, Aki. So you are going to have to act like my son and not my brother."  
  
Aki nodded. He puffed up his chest and exclaimed, "I'm gonna be a momma's boy!"  
  
The household laughed. Then Chidori stopped her laughing and said, "I don't get it. You mean my brother Aki was your brother Aki before?"  
  
Yuuhi drew his daughter close. "Yea. Aki was Aya's brother. Now he's yours."  
  
"Cool!" Chidori flashed her pearly whites at her dad.  
  
Yuuhi gazed at his daughter for her strong resemblance to the late Chidori Kuruma. He imagined the very youthful looking teenage Chidori before him. Reminiscing the times spent with her, he kept staring at his daughter. Remembering the first time he saw her when she, out of nowhere, came to his home looking for him Aya, and then it hit him. Perhaps this is the very Chidori before him, the very Chidori he missed. "Chidori," he whispered under his breath.  
  
"Hmm? Yes, Daddy?" Chidori looked at her father with concern.  
  
Yuuhi shook his head, knowing that the Chidori before him was not in fact Chidori Kuruma but Chidori Aogiri. At least, she's not yet Chidori Kuruma. "Nothing, Chidori."  
  
"Okay." Chidori went to her mother across the table. "Mommy, why is it sometimes Daddy looks so sad when he looks at me?"  
  
Aya look at her current forlorn husband at the end of the table. She hugged her daughter. "You're not ready to know yet." Shedding some tears, she said again, "you're not ready to know yet."  
  
Chidori looked at her sad parents and began to head to her room. "I guess I'm a pretty sensitive subject. Whatever it is with me." Passing by her parent's bedroom, a thought entered her head to take a look at some photo albums to see if they can answer her questions. Up the attic she went to search for old photos. Through many boxes she looked and all she found were baby photos of her and Aki. It took her a while to finally notice an isolated box in a far corner which her parents told her not to look through. But her curiosity took over, and she opened the box. Inside she found an old photo album, a small pink teddy bear (Yep! The one from Yuki Urakawa!), and a small glass case holding a necklace with a silver cross and a few small grey beads. Opening the album, she saw many pictures of her mother and a red haired man, some of her parents together, her aunt Suzumi, a long haired supposed boy (Shuro), and then she saw a picture of a brown haired girl looking like her age.  
  
Chidori gasped. She pointed at the picture of 'her'. "Is...is that me? It can't be. The date of the picture is way before I was born. This girl looks exactly like me." She flipped more pages and saw more pictures of the girl, either by herself, with a boy, with her mom, or with her dad. In fact, there were a lot of pictures of that girl and her father. "Is this why Daddy cries? Because I resemble her? Who is this girl?" Again, she flipped more pages and she landed on a page showing a photograph of what appears to be that same girl, but she looked older and had darker hair. "I don't understand."  
  
"That's because you're not old enough," said Aya as she caught her daughter looking through the private box.  
  
"Chidori, I thought I told you not to look in that box." her father said sullenly.  
  
Chidori put the album back into the box, closed it, turned to her parents, and bowed before them. "I'm sorry, Mommy and Daddy. I was so curious."  
  
Aya sighed. "Just go to your room."  
  
Chidori obeyed her mother and headed to her room. As she passed by her dad, again he looked sad. "It must be that girl. It has to be," she muttered as she went to her room. As soon as she got to her room, Chidori plopped onto her bed. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on her closed door. "Come in."  
  
Aya walked in. "Chidori honey. Before you ask, I'm going to tell you about the girl you resemble in the album.  
  
***  
  
Aya crept into her daughter's room and sat on the bed. In her hands was the album Chidori was looking at earlier. "The girl in the picture," she paused a little bit, "her name is Chidori, just like your own name. And you resemble her very much. Therefore, you were named after her."  
  
Chidori opened he album and landed on a sole page of a big picture of Yuuhi and Chidori linked in arms, smiling widely. "How old is she in this picture?"  
  
"Chidori was sixteen when we met her. The exact same age we were."  
  
Chidori's eyes bulged. "Si-si-six-sixteen? She doesn't look any older than I am!" Chidori gazed at the picture once more, noticing that the two were very happy. "Chidori, huh? Dad and she look so happy here in the picture. Wonder why she looks so young. Where is she now? What happened to her?"  
  
Aya's head dropped at the question. She began reminiscing the day of the double funeral of Aki and Chidori. Her eyes welled up with tears and began to sob. Then she remembered that Aki is now back among them, and perhaps, this may be Chidori reborn, and stopped her crying.  
  
"It's better for you not to know what happened to Chidori." 'I don't want you to be traumatized with your past life.' "All I can tell you is that she went away for a while."  
  
The young girl looked at her mother. "Oh, okay." At first she wondered why her mother looked so sad then began to beam again. "Tell me more about this Chidori! Was she nice? Did she have a boyfriend?"  
  
Giggling, Aya answered her daughter's question with good memories. Peering into the room full of laughter, Yuuhi smiled for he too remembered the wonderful memories Aya was telling their daughter.  
  
"So!" Aki slapped his hands on his new father's shoulder. "So, you're gonna be my daddy, right?"  
  
Yuuhi looked at his 'son'. "Well, I guess so. I'm wondering if you still remember your childhood from your new family."  
  
Aki thought hard. "Naw, it's still vague. I guess I'll obtain more memories with each birthday."  
  
"I'm talking about your new family meaning us. Tooya and Aya or me and Aya."  
  
"Oh, of course! But soon, maybe my past life's memories might take over your son's memories. I'd say like about when I reach the age twenty-five I'll only remember my past life and all that's left of Aya's son is pictures."  
  
Yuuhi's head sank. Since Aki was three, he raised him and in nine years he would not be the same little Aki he raised. "Oh."  
  
Aki smiled brightly. "And I will have all my wonderful memories of Aya once more!"  
  
"Yeah. But I will lose my step-son," whispered Yuuhi.  
  
Aki looked at his father. "Hmm? What did you say?"  
  
Yuuhi began walking away. "Nothing. It's nothing."  
  
Aki looked at his father walk away. "What's up with him? Last time we met, he liked it that I was around. And boy did he make good food!"  
  
"Okay, Chidori. I gotta go clean up the mess in the dining room," said Aya as she stepped out of the girl's room.  
  
"Don't worry, Mom! I already got it done!" said Aki, who was right outside the door, as he smiled at his mother.  
  
"Oh! That's great! By the way, wanna look at your baby pictures? They're inside my room!"  
  
"Do I have the earrings in my ear?"  
  
"Sure do!"  
  
"Cool! I have to see this!" Aya and Aki raced down the hall to the master bedroom to take a look at the pictures. As they reached the door, they tried to shove each other out of the way to see who will win the race. Being stronger, Aki playfully pushed his mom down and ran in. "I won! I won! In your face!"  
  
"Oh! No fair! You were pushing me!"  
  
"You were pushing too!"  
  
Chidori watched as her brother and Mom dash down the hall and beamed. "Wow, my family seems like a great one." She looked back at the album that was still lying on her bed and walked over to it. She flipped a few pages and landed on a page with a picture of an older woman with purple hair who resembled Aya. "Still, it seems that Mom and Dad seem to be hiding something about their past and long gone friends." Flipping more pages, she thought, 'I haven't seen the back of this album. I wonder if there's a really nice picture there.' Turning over the album, she looked at the last page to find aging yellow pages from a newspaper. "Hmm? This newspaper looks pretty old. What's this article about? The Mikage and Celestial Beings. What? " Taking the paper out, she began to read the editorial with confusion on the subject. "Kagami Mikage? Alexander O. Howell? Wei Fei Lee? Gladys Smithson? Ryurik Lediev? Assam Bakti? Who are these people? And what exactly are Celestial beings? I've never heard of the story of the fisherman and the tennyo." Still, reading the section, she heard footsteps approaching her room. "Uh, oh. I gotta put this back before anyone sees me! I'll research about this tomorrow!" Shoving the paper back in its niche, she placed the photo album under her bed.  
  
Laughing, Aya and Aki walked into Chidori's room with a different album in their hands.  
  
"Chidori! Is this really you?" Aki pointed at a picture of three-year-old Chidori in a pink dress, picking her nose.  
  
Chidori looked at the picture, horrified. "Noooo! Why is there a picture like that of me?!"  
  
Aya and Aki snickered at the picture once again.  
  
The next day arrived and after school, Chidori borrowed a school computer to search for people in contact with the long gone Mikage International. She was lucky enough that someone was still in Japan, but is residing in Kyoto. "Thank goodness that it's summer vacation soon. I'll look for this person, then."  
  
The next couple of weeks came by and summer vacation arrived for Chidori. Aya yawned as she slipped on a white robe, walking down the hall while tying it closed. She checked on Aki, who was snoring with his mouth wide open and drooling, slightly leaning back on the side of his bed and one leg up. She smiled and moved on to Chidori's room, somehow kept nice and neat, with everything in pace. 'Hmmmm... for once she actually cleaned it out...'  
  
Aki awakened right away as his mother left the room. Deciding to have a peek himself, he leaned into her doorway, a big grin on his face. His amethystine eyes, however, caught sight of her fluffy pink pillow. Chidori left a note, saying: "I'm going to Kyoto with some friends. Signed: Chidori."  
  
"Mom!" yelled Aki as he waved the note in the air. "Mom! Chidori's got a note on her bed saying that she's in Kyoto!"  
  
Aya froze. Yuuhi ran out of his room. "What?"  
  
"Here." Aki placed the letter in his mother's hands.  
  
Yuuhi read it quickly. "Why in the world would she go to Kyoto? Who lives there?"  
  
Aya thought hard about the people that took part of Mikage International, afraid that her daughter must have read the article in back of the album she forgot in Chidori's room.  
  
"Aya!" Yuuhi looked upon his wife. "Do you know who lives in Kyoto?"  
  
Aya thought harder. Most of the people went back to their original countries and some of them died. Who would still be in Japan? She thought of the day when the Mikage's act was proclaimed. Then she remembered who would most likely still be in Japan.  
  
"Well, Aya? Do you know?"  
  
"Howell. Alexander O. Howell must live in Kyoto," replied Aya.  
  
((To be continued...))  
  
***  
  
A/N: Ooh... I dunno if Alec-kun would be in Kyoto or still in Japan. But anyways! This is how my story goes! 


	5. Seperate Journeys

Author's Note: Waaah...I think I'm losing some of my readers! I take too long to update because of school! And studying does pay off! Yes! I got an A+ on my Constitution Final! But since School is pretty much over, I'm gonna update a lot quicker! I think...Oh, the rating has been changed for some profanity by Yuuhi and other peepz. Plus, some scenes of stuff from the manga/anime that happened between Aya and Shiso blah blah blah...  
  
Disclaimer: Yes...Yes...Yes...again...I do not own Ayashi No Ceres. Yuu Watase does. Worship her, not me! Wait...I want a little praise too...  
  
***  
  
"Alec? I thought he left!" Yuuhi hollered.  
  
"Well, I thought that too. But, I was thinking of everyone else that could still be here in Japan, and Alec is the only one possible that could be in Japan, let alone Kyoto," Aya replied.  
  
"We can't let her find out about the Mikage!" Yuuhi panicked.  
  
Aki looked at his parents, perplexed. "What about the Mikages? Is there something I should know about my old family?"  
  
Aya looked at Aki. 'He probably doesn't remember the last two years of his life!' "It's nothing, Aki!"  
  
Yuuhi rushed down the hall and grabbed a jacket on his way out.  
  
"Yuuhi! Where are you going?" called Aya.  
  
"I'll be the one to get Chidori! You need to stay here and watch over our son!" With that, the door slammed and Yuuhi was out of sight.  
  
***  
  
"What am I doing!" screeched Chidori. "I'm a twelve year old girl on a trip to Kyoto alone, looking for a guy that may have a tie to my past! Why do I always act before I think?!" The young girl began hitting herself on the head. "I should've asked Mom and Dad for permission. Wait, they probably wouldn't ever let me go..." Chidori looked to the clear blue sky as waves splashed against the hull of the small ship. "It's a good thing I've saved up some money. I'm gonna need lots of it." Yawning, Chidori looked at her watch. "Ahhh... it's only 9:17. I got up extra early for this boat. I'll get some sleep inside." Chidori crept to the ship's lobby.  
  
***  
  
'Dammit, Chidori. What could you possibly want to know about Chidori Kuruma? Or about the Mikages?' Yuuhi thought to himself as he drove to the pier, hoping to catch a boat. When he reached there, he dashed out of his car and slammed the car door. He caught sight of an elderly man keeping watch of a boat and waved his arm, trying to get the man's attention. "Sir! Sir! Can you take me to the mainland? To Honshu?"  
  
The man looked at the young man before him and shook his head. "Sorry, sonny. This boat," he said pointing to the small boat, "is not able to be operated. You can always take a plane. It's much faster."  
  
'A plane!' Yuuhi nodded his head and ran towards his car. "Thank you anyways, Sir!" Yuuhi got into his car quickly and stepped on the gas. 'Please let there be a plane ready for immediate departure one I get there.'  
  
***  
  
Aya sat across from Aki at the dining table. Aki just stared at his 'mother' as she just stared at the table linen. Looking up, she saw that Aki wasn't eating.  
  
"Uh, Aki, I didn't make breakfast for nothing. Go eat! Eat!"  
  
Aki picked up his chopsticks and began picking at the food Aya made.  
  
Aya sighed. "If you're not hungry, just say so. I'll just save it for lunch."  
  
Aki set down his chopsticks. "Aya-"  
  
"Mom!"  
  
Aki grunted. "Mom. What's something so bad that Chidori shouldn't talk to this Howell guy?"  
  
Aya began tapping her manicured fingers on the white linen. "It's nothing, really. It's just that, uh...that Chidori shouldn't go to Kyoto to meet some older guy!"  
  
Aki wasn't satisfied with the answer given. "If you're just gonna be that way..." He got up from his seat and began to head to his room.  
  
Aya sighed. "It's better this way."  
  
***  
  
"There is a God!" Yuuhi yelled as he made his way to his seat on the plane. He jumped into his seat once he reached it.  
  
"Sorry. Flight 521 will be delayed for inspection. Sorry for this inconvenience," echoed a voice on the intercom.  
  
"Flight 521?" Yuuhi looked at his plane ticket. The numbers 521 stood out. "Dammit! What the hell?"  
  
"What happened to 'there is a God'?" asked the passenger next to him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sirs. But you have to get off for the plane inspection," plead the stewardess.  
  
Yuuhi groaned. "How long will the inspection take? I really need to get to Kyoto! And fast!"  
  
"It'll take about four hours, Sir. Like we said, we're sorry for the inconvenience."  
  
"Are you really sorry?!" he asked sarcastically.  
  
The flight attendant became annoyed. "Hmph. I'm not going to take the rudeness. Please step outside the plane!"  
  
Yuuhi immediately got up and left the plane, cursing. "Four damn hours. A boat can get there quicker!" he grumbled as he sat slumped on a bench. "What would she want to find out from Howell?"  
  
***  
  
"Let's see..." Chidori sang as she lay on a soft sofa. "I wanna know more about this Chidori Kuruma, Celestial maidens, and Mikage International!" she said as she held up three fingers. "Hmmm...Mikage. That's my mom's maiden name right? She must have connection with this whole thing. But it's not like she gonna tell me about this celestial being stuff. She says I'm not," she put four fingers into quotation marks, "old enough! How irritating is that?!" She tossed and turned on the couch. "I've gotta regain some sleep..."  
  
***  
  
"Aki?" Aya knocked on her son's door.  
  
"Come in, mother."  
  
Aya opened the door slowly. "I just came to say sorry."  
  
"Sorry for what? You didn't do anything except told a lie."  
  
"Yeah... so it was noticeable. But I really think it's better off for you to not know. Really, I mean it," she replied as she sat down on Aki's bed.  
  
"Mom, I'm sixteen. I think I can handle something mature things."  
  
"It's..." Aya placed her hand on top of Aki's, "It's not that you're not mature enough. It'll shock you. Besides, you probably won't be able to handle it."  
  
Aki sighed. "I guess, if you really mean to protect me from trauma, it's okay then." He smiled at his twin.  
  
The young mother placed a hand on her chest. "Thank God, you understood me. Well, I guess your father is gonna be out for a while. What shall we do?"  
  
Aki looked at his 'sister' warmly. "Let's have some fun!" ((Do NOT get the wrong idea! Perverts...)) He slipped his hand out from under his mother's other hand and playfully shoved her on his bed while he loomed over her, still smiling. ((Like I said, do NOT get the wrong idea!!!))  
  
Aya chuckled at her son's playful reaction. "Always playing around. Just like old times."  
  
"Yep!" Aki looked at Aya. His look became a gaze, and as he gazed at her face, Aya shivered. All of the sudden, a scene flashed into Aki's mind. A very disturbing scene. He was on top of a frightened seventeen year old Aya, her shirt held open by scarred hands with a fancy dagger between her bra and chest. Gradually, it went away. Instantly, Aki got up and began panting. Aya got up too, seeing that something was wrong. "What was that? That scene of you, and...me? Were those scarred hands mine?"  
  
'Ohmigod, he must remember something when he became Shiso!'  
  
***  
  
"That was close!" The angel cried, as he placed the dust back inside the bag. Once he did that, he placed it among sixteen other bags which were also full of dust. "This memory dust bag is just not the way to keep someone's memory up here in heaven! It's waaaay to complicated! I just knocked over some of Aki's dust from the seventeenth bag! I just hope he didn't get a bad picture in his mind. He's not supposed to remember anything after his sixteenth and seventeenth years of life. I just hope I won't do that again. If I did, what kind of angel will I be?" he sighed. "Chidori's gonna be sixteen in four years. I have to get ready for that." The angel walked to a different section of memory field. "I'll have bags four through ten all spilled out and little bit of the other years."  
  
((A/N: All this dust and memory bags will be explained at the end of this chapter if you don't get it.))  
  
***  
  
"Sorry for the earlier inconvenience. Flight 521 will now depart soon. Flight 521 is now boarding," echoed the announcer.  
  
"Finally!" Yuuhi shouted. At once he dashed to his seat and buckled up. "I'm coming Chidori!"  
  
***  
  
"Excuse me, Sir. How do I get to Kyoto?" Chidori asked an elderly man.  
  
"It's pretty far from here! You can go to the subway nearby and get a ticket to get there," he answered, pointing east.  
  
"Thank you very much!" Chidori darted towards the way the man pointed to. "Train's faster than walking!" she mumbled. She reached the subway and paid for a ticket. "Gosh, I didn't think Kyoto was that far and would take this long to get to!"  
  
***  
  
"Aya?"  
  
Aya now sat at the other end of Aki's bed. "Yes?"  
  
"Did I have scars?"  
  
"Of course you do? Remember when you climbed grandpa's tree once? You got scratched on your side. You never climbed the tree again!" laughed Aya.  
  
"No. I mean scars. Obvious ones. Big ones. Scars all over my hands!"  
  
"No!" Aya fibbed. "You never had any like those. Really. That must've been your imagination."  
  
"Imagination...does it have any tie with the Mikage?"  
  
"No..."Aya head dropped. "No."  
  
Aki wasn't convinced, but he let it go again. "Leave, please."  
  
Aya quietly got up and left Aki's room, shutting the door and left him to his thoughts.  
  
"Is this what Chidori went through?" Aki asked himself as he rubbed his forehead. "All the sudden, I want to know about what happened after I turned sixteen."  
  
***  
  
"Dammit!" Yuuhi hollered. "How long does it take to board the damn plane?"  
  
The people around him, including the flight attendants, shushed him for his outburst.  
  
"Don't you people feel mad too? You wait for four hours for the plane inspection, and for the people boarding is already taking an hour!"  
  
"Yes, it may be taking long, but I'm a patient man!" yelled a man from the back.  
  
"But you don't understand! My daughter is on her way to Kyoto by herself, and who knows what will happen to her! It's already been seven hours since she left home for Kyoto! She might already be half-way there! And Kyoto is a big city! I might not be able to find her!" Yuuhi hollered back.  
  
The crowd of people remained silent for awhile.  
  
"Flight 521 will take off in ten minutes. Please board right away if you haven't yet. We will not wait any longer than ten minutes. Thank-you," echoed the intercom.  
  
"Thank you," Yuuhi said softly.  
  
*** ((three hours and forty-five minutes later))***  
  
"Man! That was a long trip!" Chidori complained as she got off the subway train. "At least I got some good sleep!" She yawned and stretched. "Time to look for the Alexander O. Howell guy." Taking out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, she began to walk out of the station. "Geez! It's already evening!"  
  
***  
  
Yuuhi dashed out of the plane and out of the airport. "A bus! A taxi! Anything!" Yuuhi exclaimed as he began to wave his arms wildly. A taxi answered his waving and Yuuhi quickly got in. "Take me to the nearest Police Station!"  
  
"Yes, Sir! Right Away, Sir!" replied the cab driver.  
  
***  
  
"Oh, gosh! I'm lost!" Chidori whined as she crumpled the small piece of paper in her hand. She turned around to see a Police Station. "Maybe I can have someone help me find him," she said as she began heading toward the Police Station.  
  
***  
  
The taxi driver stopped at the curb of the Police Station. Getting out, Yuuhi threw 500 yen to the driver. "Keep the change!" He called as he dashed into the station. Running up to a counter, he fumbled with his wallet taking out a picture of Chidori. "Excuse me," he said to the man behind the counter, "have you seen this girl?"  
  
The man took a close look. "That girl? She was just here five minutes ago."  
  
"Gaaah! You mean I just missed her?!"  
  
"You sure did."  
  
"Do you know where she went? Which direction she's headed?"  
  
The man nodded his head. "She was searching for Alexander O. Howell. Quite a popular man, I think."  
  
"Can you tell me where he lives?"  
  
"Sure!" the man replied as he gave out instructions to where Howell resided.  
  
"Thank you very much!" Yuuhi darted out of the station and ran toward Howell's house.  
  
***  
  
When he reached the location, he knocked on the door and a young lady answered it. "Is Alec here?" Yuuhi inquired as he gasped for air.  
  
"I'm sorry. He left home about half and hour ago. He should be coming back soon."  
  
"Has a young girl come by here?"  
  
"Why, yes. She was just here. If you're wondering where she went, she went there," she said as she pointed to a nearby park.  
  
"Thank you, Miss!" Once again, Yuuhi began to run towards the direction he was assigned. When he reached the park, he was horrified to see a couple of young men around what appears to be a young girl. The young girl tried to crawl away, and Chidori emerged from the crowd of boys. "Chidori!"  
  
Chidori looked around to see who was calling her name and saw that it was her father. "Dad!" she cried, reaching out for him.  
  
"Shit! That must be her dad! Run!" shouted the boys.  
  
Angrily, Yuuhi took out his chopsticks ((Yes! The same chopsticks he uses to fight with!)) and began to use his martial arts against the young men. "Pedophiles," he murmured under his breath as the boys crawled away.  
  
"Daddy!" Chidori, now crying, ran to hug her father. "You were awesome!"  
  
"That technique you used. I've seen that fighting style with chopsticks," uttered voice from behind the trees.  
  
"That voice-"  
  
A grown man with long blond hair stepped out off the shadows.  
  
"Howell!"  
  
"I thought that might be you, Yuuhi," replied the genius. "I heard that a young man and young girl wanted to see me."  
  
"Oh! That's right!" Chidori exclaimed. "I wanted to ask you-"  
  
"No, Chidori. We are going home."  
  
"Wha? I didn't come all the way here for nothing!"  
  
"I really don't mind, Yuuhi. Let her ask a question."  
  
Yuuhi looked at Chidori, who was still crying. "Fine. But only one question, Chidori."  
  
"Okay," Chidori sniffed.  
  
"Let us go to my house," Alec interrupted. "Then you can ask your question."  
  
The other two agreed and the three went to Howell's home to talk. They sat at the dining table, hands folded.  
  
"So, Chidori. What's your question?"  
  
Chidori wondered what question she should ask him. She originally had three on her mind which were about Chidori Kuruma, celestial maidens, and Mikage International. 'Well, I can always find out more about Kuruma some other time. Celestial maidens? I'm very curious about them. And the Mikage International? I guess that can wait. I really want to know about celestial maidens. "Can you please tell me about celestial maidens?" begged Chidori.  
  
The question was asked, and Yuuhi could do nothing about it. Yuuhi bowed his head and closed his eyes at the query.  
  
Alec chuckled at the question. "That also mystified me. Very well. I will tell you the story of celestial maiden and her hagoromo."  
  
((To be continued...))  
  
A/N: Well. Another chapter done. Now to explain all the memory dust bag thingy.  
  
Each bag of dust represents each year a person lived. Like in Aki's case, he lived to be seventeen. Therefore, he has seventeen bags of dust. I don't know why I chose dust. It could be sand for all I care. The dust inside the bag represents the memories of each year lived. So if you spill some dust, you let the person reborn remember the memories the angel spills out. The dust can only be spilled for the people being reborn. The angel preparing for Chidori's memories is going to have an extra hard time because she still wants to remember old memories plus Aya, Yuuhi, and other people. The angel is going to have a hard time sorting out the memories since she doesn't want to remember anything about her celestial awakening. That's all!  
  
Oh yeah, I don't think that Hachijo Island has an airport, but anyways....This is how my story goes. Eeerrr....I think I need to do some research... 


	6. Hagoromo

A/N: Soooooooooooory for the looooong wait for this chapter I swear I'll have the next one up sooner! Well here is the next chapter for Reborn and Reunited! Oh, and this chapter came in later than it should because my sister was too lazy to take a look at it. j/k but she really didn't take a look at it, therefore I didn't turn it in as soon as I finished this chapter...  
  
Disclaimer: Nope nope nope I don't own Any Ayashi No Ceres person here or anything. Just the Plot and yah! But maybe I if beg, I can keep and own Yuuhi and Aki...and maybe Alec...But like that'll happen...even though I wish it could...  
  
***  
  
"Long ago," Alec began, "there was a fisherman passing by a lake. And within that lake were heavenly maidens or celestial beings. It was one of the rare times the heavenly maidens went down to earth to bathe in a lake. The fisherman was spellbound by these beautiful women as he hid behind a tree watching them. But he knew they won't stay long. He looked up into the tree and saw feathered robes hanging over the branches. Immediately he knew that they belong to the celestial beings. So he snatched one of them and hid them because he knew that without them, a celestial being couldn't return to heaven. So when it was time for them to go back home, one of them was left behind since she couldn't find her robe. At once she spotted the same fisherman who took her robe and asked him if he took it. If so, she wanted him to give it back to her. But he denied having it. Having nothing to do, the maiden became his wife and bore him children. And while listening to one of her children sing a nursery rhyme, she found the hiding place of her hidden feathered robes and she took it back and went to heaven without saying good-bye to her children and husband." (Eeek! I don't know how to tell the story!)  
  
Chidori listened very well to the story but was still puzzled at the mystery of its connection with the Mikages. "Okay. I think I heard this story before. But why didn't she say good-bye to her children? Wouldn't she miss them?"  
  
"Chidori! I said only one question!" Yuuhi scolded.  
  
"But Dad! I know you won't answer my questions!"  
  
Alexander laughed. "Come again some other time and I'll answer more of your questions. But next time, ask your father, okay?" Alec rubbed Chidori's head as some tears fell out from her eyes.  
  
"Thank-you for letting us into your house Alec. It was nice meeting you again," Yuuhi called as he stepped out the door and went on his way with Chidori.  
  
Stepping into the doorway, watching them leave, Alec had a vigilant eye on young Chidori. "I must say. She's the spitting image of Chidori Kuruma. Is it any wonder she wants to know about this."  
  
***About four hours later***  
  
"Aya! We're home!" Yuuhi called as he walked back into the house with Chidori. He expected Aya to come running into his arms, but she didn't. "Chidori, it's late. So brush your teeth and go to bed."  
  
"'Kay, Dad. Good-night!" Chidori ran towards the bathroom to do what she was told.  
  
Yuuhi went into the master bedroom to see if Aya was already asleep, but she wasn't there. So he continued searching the house for her and found her at the dining table looking solemn. "Aya, what's wrong? I thought you would've rushed to the door to greet me and Chidori."  
  
Aya looked up to her husband. "Oh! Yuuhi! When did you get home? Did you get Chidori?"  
  
Yuuhi stood just stood in his place for moment and sighed. "Yes, I did get Chidori, and we just got home."  
  
Aya forced a smile. "Oh, that's great! I do hope none of you are harmed." Then she went back into looking solemn.  
  
Yuuhi became sad seeing Aya this way. "Aya, what's on your mind?"  
  
Aya's eyes began to well up with tears. "Oh, Yuuhi!" She fell into his arms. "I don't know what to do! Aki had some kind of memory of when we were enemies! He wants to know what happened and I don't want to tell him. But now, he's giving me an attitude because of it!"  
  
'Damn! Aki too?' thought Yuuhi. The martial artist held his wife tightly in his embrace. "Don't worry Aya. I'm going through the same thing with Chidori. We'll get through this together."  
  
Aya nodded as she broke free from his embrace. She sat back down in the chair she was sitting on and laid her head on one of her arms on the dining table, humming a song.  
  
Yuuhi grinned. "That's the song you would sing to Aki and Chidori when they were still babies, isn't it?"  
  
Aya closed her eyes. "Yes, it was. Humming it makes me calm down and be peaceful." She paused for awhile, still humming the song, and then sighed. "Everything is so peaceful." The mother kept on humming.  
  
Yuuhi drew out a chair across of his wife and laid his head on one of his arms too. With his free arm, he held Aya's free hand as she kept on humming a lullaby. Now, Yuuhi too closed his eyes, but not from weariness. It was peaceful. Husband and wife were so relaxed with their children hopefully asleep now. He desperately wished that things would be like they were now. Soon the humming faded away, so Yuuhi opened his eyes to see why. Aya fell asleep at the dining table. Smiling, Yuuhi got up and picked Aya up in his arms and crept to the bedroom to rest for the night, for tomorrow is another day.  
  
***  
  
Aya woke up and looked at the clock on their drawer close to their bed as saw it was already 10 in the morning. She slept in. Turning the other way, she saw her son sitting beside her, smirking at her. Startled, Aya got up quickly, panting for air. "Aki! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Dad and Chidori went out grocery shopping since you were asleep. So we are here alone. So I thought I'd kinda scare you when you woke up."  
  
"Well, you succeeded." Aya looked the other way for a moment, and then looked back at Aki. "Aki, are you still mad at me?"  
  
"Naw. I know you're stubborn so I shouldn't try to ask you bout what I saw yesterday."  
  
Aya giggled at his comment. "Yeah, but you're stubborn, too. So I thought you might still bug me about yesterday."  
  
"I do still want to know about yesterday. But I know you won't tell me. Nor would Yuuhi."  
  
"What now? You're calling your father, Yuuhi now?"  
  
"I'm still trying to get used to call you Mom instead of Aya. But it's not as bad because I'm already used to calling Yuuhi, Dad."  
  
"What time did Yuuhi and Chidori leave anyway?"  
  
"About an hour ago. Why?"  
  
"I thought they'd be back by now. But if they left only an hour ago, I guess they're almost done by now."  
  
"So we're still gonna be alone for awhile. Why don't we do the stuff we always did when we were teenagers. Well, I'm still a teenager."  
  
Aya had a big smile. "Let's grab out the karaoke machine!"  
  
Aki sweat dropped. "Maybe I shouldn't have come up with that idea."  
  
"C'mon, Aki!" Aya called as she rushed out of the room.  
  
***Forty-Five Minutes later***  
  
"Aya! We're home!" Yuuhi called as he and Chidori hauled in bags of groceries.  
  
"Haruka na hoshi zora ni yume wa mada..." (The song is "Scarlet" well that's the English title sang by Junko Iwao)  
  
"Aya!" Aki shook his sister Aya. "They're back!"  
  
"Fine! Ruin my song when I just started singing it!" Aya snapped.  
  
"But you sang that five times already!" Aki hollered.  
  
Yuuhi and Chidori laughed as the two argued with each other.  
  
Aya sighed, looking back at that one time when she sang with her friends and Aki........... the day before things changed dramatically....... the day before her birthday. 'If things continued to be the same from then......... would things be the way they are now?'  
  
***Four years and five months later***  
  
"Happy birthdaaaaaaaaaay toooooo yoooooouuuuuu!" Sang Aya, Yuuhi, and Aki.  
  
Chidori had a big grin on her face.  
  
"C'mon, Chidori! Blow out your candles!" said Yuuhi.  
  
Chidori couldn't help smiling. She turned sweet sixteen today. Looking at the cake Yuuhi made, she finally blew the sixteen candles.  
  
As soon as she did that, Aya and Yuuhi looked intensively at Chidori.  
  
Chidori shivered and then saw that her parents were looking at her, cautiously. "Is there something wrong with my face, Aya? Yuuhi?"  
  
Chidori walked to the closest mirror. This sixteen year old Chidori didn't look like she was twelve years old. Astounded, she touched her face, and grabbed her big chest. "When did I look like this? I thought I looked like I was twelve?!"  
  
Yuuhi and Aya were rather happy. They knew this was Chidori reborn. The biggest difference was that unlike her past life, who was a sixteen year old who looked like a child, she currently looks like one her age. Chidori was taller, more mature, and actually looking like she really is sixteen.  
  
((To be continued...))  
  
A/N: eeehhh...short and boring chapter? I promise to have the next one up sooner... Pleeeeaaase continue to read because I wanna finish this story, but without reviews and stuff, I won't have an inspiration to continue. 


	7. Biological Father

A/N: I'm sooooooo sorry for the long update! The diskette were I had my fanfics stored was DESTROYED! No!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, here is the long awaited next chapter!  
  
***  
  
"I'm off to school!" Chidori ran off putting on her shoes.  
  
Yuuhi held Aya close to him. "They're getting older so quickly."  
  
"Aren't we?" Aki popped from behind the couple.  
  
Surprised, Yuuhi let go of Aya and turned around to see his stepson. "Don't you have to be at school-er college? Don't you have classes today?"  
  
"I didn't feel like going today."  
  
Aya laughed. "That's how we were when we were in our teen years, isn't it, Aki?"  
  
"Yes, we were, Mother dearest."  
  
"Aya! You're not even going to scold him?!" Yuuhi hollered.  
  
The two, sadly, weren't listening to Yuuhi. Instead, they were walking down the hall laughing merrily. Yuuhi sighed.  
  
***at dinner***  
  
That night, while everybody was dipping the tempura that Yuuhi prepared in his special sauce, the family was talking about how their day went, about how Chidori did on her test, how Aki met this girl at the station, how Yuuhi was experimenting in the kitchen, and how Aya was looking through old family albums.  
  
Then Yuuhi tapped his glass softly using his fork. "Chidori, you're going to have a visitor tomorrow. Do you know who it is?"  
  
Chidori thought hard. "Nope. Who? Tell me! Tell me! Is it someone I know or knew?"  
  
Yuuhi grinned. "Shota is coming over tomorrow afternoon."  
  
Chidori gasped in excitement and clasped her hands over her mouth. "Are you serious? Omigosh! I haven't seen him in ages!"  
  
Chidori's parents smiled at seeing their daughter so joyous. "I wonder if Shota will recognize her as his sister?"  
  
***  
  
Ding Dong! "Hello?" called out a grown man's voice.  
  
"I'll get it!" Chidori jumped with joy, rushing to the door. When she opened it, she found a tall man around the age of 30 in front of her. He was a handsome man in a pilot uniform with hair combed neatly and wearing shiny shoes.  
  
"Oh... my... gawd..." The man hugged Chidori immediately.  
  
Chidori's eyes were bulged. "Eeek! Pedophile!"  
  
"Chidori?" Suzumi came out from behind the man. She saw the man hugging the young girl. "Chidori?"  
  
Chidori saw an older, longer haired, slightly thinner, but still beautiful, Suzumi. "Suzumiiiii! Tell this man to let go of me!"  
  
"Chidori. This is Shota. He can walk now and he's gotten older."  
  
"Shota?" Chidori looked up and she could see her 'younger' brother's gentle eyes looking at her filled with tears. Soon, her eyes too began to fill with tears. "Ohmigawd! You can walk now!" she hugged him back.  
  
***  
  
Chidori was fixing sandwiches in the kitchen while Shota began to talk with Aya and Yuuhi. Chidori was about to walk out with snacks in hand when she started to eavesdrop on their conversation.  
  
"It seems like you're taking Tooya's death pretty well," Shota started.  
  
"Well, I have a family to take care of. Besides, how could I raise children if I keep crying over the death of my first husband?"  
  
'First husband?' Chidori thought.  
  
Shota leaned back. "I wish he was alive. I would like to tell him that I fulfilled my dream of becoming a pilot."  
  
"We can visit his grave later," Yuuhi replied.  
  
"That's a good idea," Suzumi agreed.  
  
"Here are some snacks!" Chidori proclaimed as she walked in casually on the old time friends.  
  
'I guess Aki and I don't share the same father...'  
  
***after visiting Tooya's grave***  
  
"It was good seeing you again, Chidori!" Shota exclaimed before he stepped out the door, heading towards his plane out in the field.  
  
"It was great seeing you too," she replied waving back. Chidori watched as her grown brother walked away. It has been years since they've last seen each other.  
  
"Don't they grow up quickly?" Aya asked as she laid her hands on Chidori's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah. But I feel sad that I didn't get to grow up with him," she said quietly.  
  
"Well, life is not usually fair. Both of us never got to grow older with our brothers," Aya answered.  
  
"..."  
  
"Hmmm?" Aya turned Chidori around.  
  
"Mom, Aki and I don't share the same father, do we?"  
  
Aya, surprised at the question, just smiled. "No, you didn't. Aki's biological father is Tooya. You remember him, don't you?"  
  
"I think I do..."  
  
"Hey, Mom!" Aki grabbed his mom by the shoulders. "Watcha guys talking about?"  
  
"We're discussing your biological father," Aya answered.  
  
"You mean, Yuuhi is not my biological father?" Aki raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No, he isn't. He's my biological father," Chidori replied.  
  
"Tooya is your real father. But, he died when you were still a baby," Aya explained.  
  
"Tooya... the guy with the red hair? He died? Aw... I bet he'd make a real great dad."  
  
"You don't like Yuuhi?" asked Aya.  
  
"It's not that. It's just that-"  
  
"Hey! It's dinner time!" called Yuuhi from inside the house.  
  
Aya smiled. "Let's go inside and eat."  
  
***after dinner and washing up***  
  
Chidori knocked on her brother's door.  
  
"Who's there?" asked Aki.  
  
"It's Chidori."  
  
"It's Chidori who?"  
  
"It's your sister, stupid!" Chidori opened the door while Aki was laughing on his bed.  
  
"'Sup sis?"  
  
"Wanna talk about our parents?"  
  
"Sure," Aki shrugged.  
  
"What memories do you have of Tooya?"  
  
Aki rubbed his head in thought. "I remember him taking me to the Aogiris. I remember him helping me out a lot, but it seems like there is something missing."  
  
"Me too."  
  
***  
  
'Uh-oh. Reborn people shouldn't think like that.' thought the Angel. He walked to the memory room to where the memories of Aki and Chidori lay. "I think I should rearrange the dust a little." The bags which contained Aki and Chidori's memories were on a high shelf. Jumping up and down, the angel tried to grab it. "C'mon! Why did the Almighty One place you guys on the high shelf?" Jumping up one more time, he tried grabbing both bags at once, only to let them both spill to the floor.  
  
***  
  
Aki and Chidori felt a shiver up their spine.  
  
"Chidori?" Aki looked at his sister as she grasped her head.  
  
"It hurts... my head hurts..."  
  
"Mine does too..." Aki began to hold his head.  
  
((To be continued...))  
  
A/N: I'm so sorry that it's so short! At least I updated right? I'll update the next chapter ASAP! 


End file.
